Women to Watch Finalists – Education Category
Kathy Browder
Senior associate dean, UNCW CHHS
In her role at University of North Carolina Wilmington’s College of Health and Human Services, Kathy Browder oversees the educational programs for about 3,000 students.
Browder joined CHHS in 2012 as its senior associate dean of academic and student affairs and have been working in that role since then.
Dean Charles Hardy credits her with helping CHHS, which includes programs ranging from nursing to clinical research to social work, grow both in quantity and quality. He says she has been instrumental in developing diversity and inclusion activities and programs.
During her career, she has also facilitated a number of innovative academic program initiatives.
Most recently at UNCW, she oversaw the conversion of the School of Nursing’s RN to BS program into an innovative admissions and delivery model, which has allowed the program to grow from 70 to 1000 students in just three years. In 2015, she led a team of faculty and community partners to develop a program in clinical research workforce development, which resulted in a $390,000 award over three years from the Duke Energy Foundation.
For more than twenty years, Browder has worked in higher education as a faculty member in the field of kinesiology, or the study of human movement. Specializing in biomechanics, Browder has actively published and presented in her research focus on neuromechanics of injury etiology and prevention.
Browder was selected to participate in the Management Development Program at Harvard University and the 2015-16 Leadership North Carolina class.
“I do see myself staying in administration,” she says. “Administrative roles allow me to best use my skills and abilities to work with others to create positive change in our region and for the future workforce in North Carolina.”
If you could be anything else what would it be? “A singer or musician. I love to sing and make up songs, but no one else wants to hear them!”
Marie Davis
Environmental Educator/Co-Owner, Centripetal Farms
There’s a lot to learn from the ground up at Centripetal Farms, and Marie Davis hopes to get more students in the loop.
Davis, who last year helped launch Centripetal Farms, works as an organic food garden consultant and environmental farm educator. The organization’s focus is on developing underserved communities in New Hanover County by turning underutilized properties into places where fruits and vegetables are grown and consumed locally.
The key to sustaining productive, educational gardens is community education.
That’s where Davis comes in.
She already has served numerous area students, having worked previously for the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve on community outreach and education projects, from developing interactive nature trails to piloting the Island Explorers program with Masonboro.org to take fifth-graders out to the Masonboro Island Reserve.
Prior to working for NCNERR, Davis was a fifth-grade teacher at Wrightsboro Elementary School.
That is the same school where today Davis, as part of Centripetal Farms, still leads educational tours, field trips, and cooking demonstrations in partnership with other organizations such as Feast Down East, Food Corps, and the Ability Garden.
“As a former classroom teacher, I know firsthand the effects of poor nutrition on students. One in five students in New Hanover County struggle with food insecurity,” she says. “Centripetal strives to create opportunities for students and schools to have access to healthy food, gardening, and cooking lessons.”
Easiest thing for non-green thumbs to grow? “I have to admit that I had a bit of a gray thumb before jumping into this endeavor. So I have embraced a ‘learn as I grow’ philosophy and with a little hard work and research, my skills have come a long way in a short time. Kale and lettuce are winners because they germinate quickly, can be grown in small spaces, and are a welcome nutritious addition to add meals.”
Jean Hall
International Baccalaureate Coordinator, Hoggard High School
When classes started this fall, Hoggard High School reopened its doors with a distinction unique to the region. And much of that is thanks to Jean Hall.
For the past three years, Hall has been working on getting the school authorized as International Baccalaureate World School by the nonprofit educational foundation that maintains the respected and rigorous programs.
Now that it’s launched, it’s the first IB program in New Hanover County. Nearly 300 students are involved in the program at Hoggard this year; forty students enrolled in its first cohort and another 250 in the pre-IB program for ninth- and tenth-graders.
Graduating students who participate obtain an international degree on top of their high school degree that is recognized globally.
“I first learned of the IB organization while living and working abroad, and I was fascinated that such a concept existed,” Hall says. “The teaching and learning methods in the program make the most sense to me, and I see the potential for so many students to thrive in it.”
Getting the program approved for Hoggard was no small feat.
Hall, a teacher at the high school for the past decade, pitched it to the county school board – with the backing of Superintendent Tim Markley – dived into training, and organized visits by the IB accreditation board. And since the IB program, with a focus on global learning, advocates international travel for students, Hall is working with the school board on getting a new student international travel policy passed.
“I have to pinch myself,” Hall says about seeing the program’s opening. “Nothing happens in isolation. “It has taken much support from so many people for this to come to fruition. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to see it happen.”
Favorite subject in school? “World religions was my high school favorite, but I then became a linguistics junkie!”
Sheryl Mays
Museum Director, Cape Fear Museum of History and Science
Sheryl Mays has decades of experience in bringing history to life. But it was 2014 when she moved Wilmington to lead and grow the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science.
Mays, whose credentials include serving as director of public programs and operations at Historic Jamestowne in Virginia and director of education for the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, already has made an impact in the short time in her current position.
Mays describes the past two years as inspiring.
“From the moment I arrived in Wilmington, I was struck by the energy in the community and the willingness of this community to embrace change and growth,” she says. “I see this same spirit in the museum staff. They have readily shared their ideas for change and embraced new initiatives. It is inspiring and exciting to be part of this museum and this community.”
Cape Fear Museum has seen its visitor numbers grow, and it has implemented new educational programming. It started a Community Memberships program so residents can pay it forward and buy museum memberships for others who cannot afford to visit. So far, over sixty families have benefited.
And under Mays’ leadership, the museum turned its parking lot into a community park next to the museum on Market and Eighth streets with interactive exhibits and free family programs.
Early this year, the museum launched a study about how area residents spend their leisure time as a way to see how it can adapt to museumgoers’ changing tastes and interests.
Who is someone who has been a mentor to you? “I am so fortunate to have three sisters who have provided support and advice to me as I have grown as a person and a professional. They have always been there to cheer me on when I needed it most and to give me honest feedback that only sisters can.”
Kat Pohlman
Sustainability Coordinator, UNCW
As UNCW’s sustainability coordinator, Kat Pohlman is making sure the university adds a little eco-green to its teal.
In the role, Pohlman has created shifts in practices that establish enduring values of economic stability, social equity, and environmental stewardship.
Pohlman, who graduated from UNCW in 2011, co-chairs the university’s sustainability council.
She helped students with their effort to get a designated fund for sustainability – The Green Initiative Fund – approved. Pohlman also organized a team to create UNCW’s first Sustainability Action Plan that reflects the goals of the university while achieving international recognition for sustainability efforts.
“I am truly fortunate to work in a community where applied learning is encouraged and innovation is valued,” Pohlman says. “Incorporating sustainability education into the daily lives of students not only impacts their everyday experience at UNCW, but also instills principles and habits during an influential time in their lives.”
Pohlman is developing a peer-to-peer education group called Seahawk Stewards and heading up a program for faculty and staff who want to become a UNCW-certified Green Office, with tools to help them reduce waste, energy, and water.
Off campus, Pohlman’s dedication to the environment extends to working with the Coastal Composting Council, and she is a board member for the North Carolina Composting Council.
What’s a leadership lesson you’ve learned so far? “Leadership is not a position in a group, but the actions taken to fulfill a vision.”
To view more of photographer Chris Brehmer’s work, go to www.chrisbrehmerphotography.com
To view more of photographer Erik Maasch's work, visit ejmphotography.org
